$26 Million for Cancer Center

The University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center (UPCC) has received a $26
million Core Grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Cancer centers
funded by the NCI Core Grant are the centerpiece of the nation's effort
to reduce the morbidity and mortality from cancer. This five-year grant
is the largest ever received by Penn from the National Institutes of Health,
and is a 62 percent annual increase over the prior award.

Penn's Cancer Center has been continuously funded by the NCI Core Support
Grant mechanism since it was created by the National Cancer Act in the early
1970s. Penn's grant received "outstanding" merit, which is the
highest possible status, and full approval and funding of its 13 research
programs and 16 core facilities, which provide specialized services to support
innovative cancer research. "Our grant was reviewed by a cadre of nationally
recognized scientists and clinical investigators from cancer centers around
the country," says Dr. John H. Glick, director of the Cancer Center.
"We are extremely proud to receive this recognition from our peers
and from the National Cancer Institute."

The UPCC also has been re-approved as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by
the National Cancer Institute for the maximum five-year period. This prestigious
designation reflects the Cancer Center's excellence in basic, clinical and
cancer control research, and its commitment to translate its research findings
to benefit cancer patients and the community at large. UPCC is one of only
two Comprehensive Cancer Centers located in the Delaware Valley.

Along with this milestone, U. S. News & World Report recently
ranked the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center as the leading cancer
center in the tri-state area. "We are pleased to be recognized as the
area's top cancer center," says Dr. Glick. "This acknowledgement
certainly reflects the dedication of the faculty and staff who make the
cancer center the success that it is."

News of this honor comes at an exciting time in the history of the University
of Pennsylvania Cancer Center, as the institution is experiencing unprecedented
growth. UPCC has more than $100 million in cancer research funding--$37
million is from the National Cancer Institute; $43 million from other institutes
at the NIH; another $12 million from foundational support such as the American
Cancer Society and the Leukemia Society; and $8 to $10 million from pharmaceutical
companies.

UPCC recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and the establishment of
The Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute--where
top researchers from around the country have been recruited to Penn and
are working to solve the many mysteries of what causes cancer and to develop
innovative, new diagnostic and treatment approaches. The Abramson Institute
was established in late 1997 with a gift of $100 million from Leonard and
Madlyn Abramson.

In addition, the Cancer Center is expanding with the opening of the Rena
Rowan Breast Center this fall (Almanac
October 10); it will encompass an entire floor of Penn Tower that is
specifically designed and designated to treat women with breast cancer.
"Everyone here at the Cancer Center is enthusiastic about the initiatives
currently set in motion, says Dr. Glick. "We're making tremendous scientific
progress and these discoveries will increase our effort to help each individual
patient control or conquer his or her disease. We are proud to be one of
the major institutions in the country leading this initiative."